Shara
''Deceiver. Snake. Technocrat. Witch. '' The present Shara is not the first such Kindred to bear the name to have visited the city, but instead claims to be “Shara of the line of Shara”. What is clear is that she has successfully managed to deceive the entire Court on a number of occasions and is now at the centre of a very dangerous game. Shara first appeared in the city during the summer of 2002, initially content to spread dissent amongst the Court with her potent magicks. When it was discovered that she claimed to be sire of the former Shara, it was assumed that she had returned for revenge against the Court, in particular Julian Scott-Brown. Initial efforts focussed on preventing her from gaining a foothold in the city and establishing contact with the former Shara’s allies. Things however took a decidedly different turn. Turning to the theft of items from a dig site in Keele, Shara flooded the market with false antiques and occult items, creating confusion as to what was real and what was false in the city. A strong Toreador presence in the city led to a minor backlash against Dimitri for allowing the city’s to be targeted in such a manner. Although not instrumental in the political events that were to come, the matter was a minor embarrassment to Dimitri. The Court once again focussed its efforts on preventing Shara establishing any influence in the city. In the brief period that Prince Dimitri was ousted from his office, she successfully managed to play all sides of the city’s criminal underworld off against each other, allowing her to form The Daughters of the Desert to do her bidding. In addition, by duping the then Prince into committing to a potentially dangerous war with The Gambinos, she freed up one of her fronts allowing her to focus her efforts against the stronger Sandernacht. By mid 2003, The Daughters of the Desert were second only to Sandernacht in terms of control of the city’s streets and underworld. On Dimitri’s return to power she introduced a much more dangerous element to the game, the drug “Milk”. Rumoured to contain Kindred vitae, the drug radically altered the perception and understanding of those who took it, leading many to suicide. The Court poured its energies into establishing the source of the drug and stopping its spread amongst the city’s increasingly jaded youth. The Court eventually located the factory and discovered the truth behind the drug, stopping its production. At this stage, Shara was firmly established as an enemy of both the city and the Court. It was therefore a degree of surprise when one night she entered the Elysium proposing a truce for the duration of the “forthcoming war”. Although no further explanation of what she meant was given, the truce was accepted. When Andrew Sant made his attempt to gain control of the city a month later, the truth behind her words became apparent. For better or worse, Shara was now an ally of the Court. The early months of 2004 saw Shara travel back and forth to Singapore, involved in some business with Julian Scott-Brown. At the same time the Cathayan’s also emerged in the city, investigating a computer entity known only as “The PromEpim Virus”. Following the disappearance of Julian, Shara claimed that he had been captured by this new group and volunteered to negotiate his release in exchange for the virus. The following negotiations left eleven of the initial twelve Cathayan’s dead. Only the Cathayan known as “The Wind” remained. More worryingly, the PromEpim Virus that Shara had discovered in Singapore was now in her possession. Merging with the virus, Shara took on the mantle of “The Electric Lady”. She was linked to the death of Sandernacht and the assassination attempt on Andrew Sant, and later the rise of the company Saturn XI. Shara made her final move in February 2005, although what the true nature of this move was remains a mystery. Some point to the involvement of other, outside influences, particularly the Technocracy. Others have commented that she was clear mad by this stage and that her actions are without reason. Shara’s death created as many questions as her life. Her true motives with regards the virus however, remain a mystery. “It would be easier to make a decision about Shara if I knew what her relationship with Julian was." “In her case looks definitely are deceiving. As I found out a bit later than everyone else. Perhaps not even she knows what’s going on in her head nowadays. If she does, then maybe that’s what’s scaring us most." “I believe, though I may be wrong, the current Shara is the third to bear the name in Stoke. It appears Shara will help the Court if doing so helps her. In other words don’t trust her.” '' ''“Setite witch. We must remain vigilant." “Knowing how these machines work I wonder who’s really in charge?" '' ''“Diablerie was too good for her."